


Putting the Pieces Together

by MichiesVoidofWriting



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alador Blight and Odalia Blight Bashing, But they're dead here, Eda is here but only once, Have 7000 words of Lilith being a mom, This is an AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 09:39:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,150
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29624313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MichiesVoidofWriting/pseuds/MichiesVoidofWriting
Summary: After the passing of Odalia and Alador, Lilith takes in the traumatized set of Blight kids and bonds with them through snips of little moments together.(Dedicated to Sora_U)
Relationships: Amity Blight & Edric Blight & Emira Blight, Amity Blight & Lilith Clawthorne, Edric Blight & Emira Blight & Lilith Clawthorne
Comments: 26
Kudos: 90





	Putting the Pieces Together

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sora_U](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sora_U/gifts).



> This is my birthday gift to the wonderful and incredible Sora_U aka Sorascribbles. She loves the concept of Mom Lilith and I decided to put this together for her. Happy Birthday to you, you amazing little chaos bringer!

Lilith couldn't grasp what her life had come to. Never in a million years did she ever think she would be sitting in her car that was still parked in the driveway, on the phone with her sister, with Eda having the audacity to laugh at her while she freaked out about the three kids sitting in the living room calling her, "Mom". The funny thing was, she knew exactly how she got to this point.

* * *

To be fair, when she drove to pick up the Blight children, she was expecting prissy, pampered, irritating little brats that were the splitting images of Odalia and Alador. She was wrong. Oh, so very wrong. 

All three kids were polite and mostly quiet, although that could be for a number of reasons. The twins did look like their parents, their mother to be more specific, but no one would be able to tell with Edric's messy hair and Emira's use of a hoodie and sweats. It wasn't like Amity was any better with her hair tied up in a falling ponytail and deciding to toss casual wear for comfort. If Odalia was still alive, Lilith was near certain the woman would have a heart attack and die. 

The drive to the house was in silence but it gave Lilith time to prepare and mentally check off things she still needed to take care of. The first thing on the list would be to get the kids to settle in and go from there. 

"So," Lilith cursed inwardly at the awkwardness of her tone. She needed to have control of the situation because lord knows the poor kids huddled together three feet away from her desperately needed some type of stability. "There's a bedroom for each of you, and it would greatly help if you picked which one you wanted. The only things set up are the beds and the dressers and we can finish with the rooms tomorrow." Their dull expressions didn't change and Lilith felt the need to add, "There's always the option to decorate later." 

She tried to swallow down the nerves at the way the three siblings communicated through silence. They seemed to be debating something if the weary glances in her direction were any indication, and Lilith tried not to let it bother her with the level of distrust they held.

She couldn't bring herself to blame them. One day you get news both your parents die and the next, you're being shipped off to some woman you never even knew about. She tried not to wince at the idea of them finding out that it practically went both ways. 

It was a good thing Odalia and Alador were already dead or she would kill them herself for putting the four of them into this situation. Lilith had a right to know they had tricked her into signing into becoming the kids' legal guardian should anything happen to the Blight parents. The kids, especially, deserved to have at least gotten to know about their forced godmother. Too late for that. 

"Is it alright if we pick the rooms now?" Emira asked in a polite, almost rehearsed tone, and Lilith immediately took notice of how stiff they all were. 

"Of course."

She couldn’t help the worry when the three Blights scampered off and seemed almost relieved to be out of her line of sight. 

Part of her debated if the skittish was due to the fact the kids had processed they would be living with a stranger. The other part ventured into deeper waters and questioned if Odalia and Alador had done something to their kids to make them this way. She didn't want to dwell on it. It wasn't her business to do so.

* * *

The first day of living together had consisted of unpacking, as the house Lilith was renting had only been particularly finished when she went to pick up the kids. The Blights, for their part, spent most of the day unpacking their rooms before collectively gathering in the kitchen to help Lilith with the last of the boxes and organization. They had gone out to dinner but were all too tired to hold any meaningful conversation.

The next day consisted of finishing the rest of the house and putting the living room together once the couches and dining set arrived. 

"You're surprisingly calm about all this," Edric said as he helped her put the cushions on the couches. 

"Freaking out about the house not being done wouldn't get me anywhere," Lilith smiled as she set a throw pillow down so it leaned on the back of the couch. 

"No, I mean...with _everything_ ," he gestured around to emphasize his point. 

"I've been busy," she admitted sheepishly. Her mind had been busy obsessing over the house and making sure the kids would settle in smoothly. Any thoughts regarding the gravity of the situation had been brushed to the side. 

"You've kept us busy." It wasn't cold like she had expected, but more observant than she thought. 

"It wasn't my intention. I meant to have the house done before you all came and unfortunately the timing was off by a bit." A bit meaning three days than she originally planned.

Edric seemed to relax a bit and Lilith couldn't help but feel as if she passed some sort of test. But at least he was talking to her. 

"Well...thanks….you know...for doing this." He moved to grab another throw pillow as Lilith raised an eyebrow. 

"You're welcome?" What was he even thanking her for?

As if he could read her thoughts, he shrugged as he placed the pillow down, "You drove six hours to come and pick up three kids you never even met, got a house in the neighborhood, and kept us together. So, thanks." He gave her a curious look, "But what did you get out of it?"

"I'm sorry?" Lilith stepped back and her eyes blew wide. Did they honestly all believe she was doing this as some sort of deal?

"What did my parents promise you?" The way he practically hissed the word was something she saved for later. He still hadn't had time to grieve. 

"Nothing. I was their  _ break glass in case of emergency _ . I don't know why they tricked me into becoming your guardian, I didn't get anything out of it." It was the truth. Perhaps Odalia and Alador had planned to keep her close when they decided to fool her. She wouldn't know. 

"Seriously?" He asked in bewilderment, "No strings attached?"

"Yes."

"So then why are you doing this?" She couldn’t blame him for the distrust. Odalia and Alador had always had reasons behind everything. It would be foolish of her to assume their kids had been left in the dark. 

"I have a sister." Lilith shrugged and moved to sit down on the couch and didn't say anything when Edric followed suit. "We lost our parents when we were younger, and the only person available to look after us was not in good health so you can imagine the struggle it was to keep the two of us together." 

"So then…"

"If I didn't come to get you, the court would have selected the next best candidate, but considering the type of people your family name is associated with, it wouldn't be too far off to assume that you all would be wards of the state," Lilith shrugged as the pieces came clicked in the boy's head. 

"You came to get us so we couldn't be separated." He stared at her incredulously, "But we're just strangers." 

"Perhaps, but maybe soon we won't be." Knowing the conversation was drawing to a close, Lilith stood up and adjusted her falling ponytail. "I'm going to check on your sisters." 

"Do you need me to do anything?" Edric had shot to his feet and nearly gave her whiplash from watching him. 

"No, dear. It's fine. Take a break."

The term of endearment slipped out before she could stop it, but Edric gave no reaction and dramatically flopped back onto the couch. She smiled at the fact he seemed to be semi-comfortable in her presence and turned to head to the kitchen before Edric's voice stopped her. 

"Hey, Miss Lilith? Thanks."

"Of course."

* * *

There was one thing they needed to do now that the house was unpacked. Grocery shopping. Lilith would be damned if she continued to let the household eat ramen and pizza for the rest of their lives. 

On top of that, the conversation she had with Edric had weighed in her mind and she knew there were a handful of things she needed to discuss with the kids. She was their guardian, which meant she was fully responsible for their well-being. 

"There are some things we need to talk about." It could've been better worded in retrospect, but Lilith needed to get directly to the point. 

The kids glanced up in unison before glancing at each other. She forced down the laughter at Edric practically inhaling the rest of his pizza and briefly wondered how he would get along with Eda. Unfortunately, she had to push the thought away if she wanted to have this conversation. 

"Alright, first off, tomorrow we're going grocery shopping because no one is going to have a diet of ramen. You're not in college yet." The twins both snorted at the comment before stiffening. 

"Grocery shopping?" Emira raised an eyebrow, "We're coming with you?"

"We're like the worst people to go shopping with," Edric smirked and Lilith could've sworn she heard a muffled scoff from Amity. 

Lilith practically smiled. They were testing the waters to see how she would respond. 

"Unless you want me to stock the fridge with nothing but greens and zero sugar, then I think you'll want to tag along." She saw how the twins both smiled and couldn’t help but feel she passed another test. 

"Didn't know you were a health freak." Another comment from Edric to test her. 

"Not exactly," a shrug, "I'm like half certain I should follow the food groups chart and go with that." She nearly cackled at the way the twins' faces fell and immediately turned around to declare they were going shopping. 

"You said there were other things that needed to be discussed?" The playfulness suddenly faded and Lilith swore this was the first time Amity addressed her on her own. 

"Yes." There was no way this was going to sound good. "I know that all of you are old enough to take care of yourselves, but the three of you are still minors and your well-being is placed in my hands." 

"House rules then," Emira scoffed before automatically stiffening. 

"Correct," Lilith gave them all a gentle smile and Emira began to relax. "I'm not one for many rules, I just have a few that I ask you to follow."

She saw the looks of uncertainty and wondered if they would riot against her if they didn't agree, but she knew (and hated) that they still feared her. Worst case scenario had the three siblings walking with their tails in between their legs and probably breaking the rules when they grew fed up enough. 

"Edric and Emira, the curfew for you two is nine on school nights and eleven on weekends. Amity, I would prefer you back here at eight and ten, but if you are with your siblings, then you can stay out as long as them." She ignored their bewildered looks and continued, "If you aren't going to be back around your set time, message me and tell me where you are and when you plan on arriving back. Any questions regarding your curfew?"

"That's it?" Emira blinked in surprise. 

"Yes," Lilith couldn't help but draw out the word. 

"No  _ this is what will happen if you don't come back _ or like  _ if I catch you sneaking out then this will happen _ ?" Edric asked in confusion.

"I already told you, it’s fine if you message me ahead of time." Lilith paused to raise an eyebrow, "Why would you need to sneak out?"

"No, it was just an example," Edric spit out the sentence and easily covered his tracks, while Lilith hummed in understanding. 

"And if we don't meet the curfew rule, then what?" Amity questioned with her tone attempting to hide the fear. 

"You won't be allowed to go out the week after." It shouldn't have surprised her when the three went from nervous to confused. 

"Really?" Emira asked, skepticism laced in her voice. 

"Well, what do you think would be a suitable punishment?" Lilith raised an eyebrow and smirked when the siblings tried to wrack their brains and failed to come up with anything. 

"I got nothing," Edric huffed in defeat. 

"Same," his sisters sighed in unison but it sounded more like relief than defeat. 

"Glad we're all on the same page." Lilith smiled, "Now then, does anyone else want another breadstick?" 

The twins immediately perked up and Amity rolled her eyes before biting into her pizza. Lilith would admit it to only her sister, but it was odd, having such a domestic moment with kids that weren't even hers, yet it came so naturally. What scared her more was that she didn't mind it. 

* * *

They had made it about a week and a half in before Emira broke down. Lilith would be lying if she said she didn't expect this. The kids had been shoved from one situation to the next and were more focused on settling in than grieving. Now that everything had mostly calmed down, the events of the past week had caught up to them. 

"I was fine," Emira shook her head as she angrily wiped at her tears while Lilith briefly glanced at her while she drove the teenager back to the house. "It was fine. My friend in my science class had asked if I could come to her birthday party next week and I said without thinking, that I would have to ask my parents, but I can't ask my parents because they're gone!"

"I-"

"They're gone," the girl repeated in a shaking breath. "They're never coming back." She slowly glanced up toward her guardian, who had pulled the car over into the parking of a gas station. "My parents are dead." 

"E-"

"They're dead." Much to Lilith’s concern, the girl started laughing with no humor behind it. "They're gone which means that they have no say in our lives anymore and that means we're free!" Emira was practically hysterical as she threw her head back with a teary laugh, "Oh my God, how messed up is that? My parents are dead and I can't even cry about it because I am so relieved at being free and out of their control. And honestly-"

"Emira!" Lilith never wanted to raise her voice at them, but no way was she going to allow the girl to fall any deeper into hysterics. 

Emira had frozen and the only warning Lilith got was a small hitch of breath before the oldest Blight daughter broke out into loud and mournful wails even with her hands covering her mouth. Lilith felt something wrap around her heart and squeeze, reminding her that she was practically helpless in this situation. She had no idea what to do and calling Eda for help was not an option. But she could do one thing. 

Emira couldn't even ask why Lilith had left her, and ignored the sting of abandonment as her mind was too busy dropping realization after realization. She was only aware of the presence on the passenger side of the car when the door opened and a soft hand gently touched her shoulder, which forced her to look up. 

Lilith forced herself not to tense up when Emira suddenly turned and jumped out of the car to throw her arms around her. The teenager gripped the back of her shirt and buried her face into her shoulder to muffle her sobs as Lilith gently rubbed her back. 

"It's alright, darling. I got you."

The way Emira seemed to hold onto her, afraid that if she let go she would fall apart, was the only thing Lilith needed to know that the teenager breaking down in her arms believed her. 

* * *

"Okay, we definitely need to talk." Lilith tried not to recoil at the three heads that looked at her in unison. Instead, she sat on the ottoman in front of her wards and gave them a soft smile in hopes that they would drop the anxious looks. 

The funeral for Odalia and Alador was happening on Saturday. But that wasn't the problem. The problem was regarding the Blight children and the possibility of them passing out at the funeral from exhaustion. 

From what she understood the twins were involved in two sports, violin lessons for some reason, after-school tutoring on Fridays for lord knows what, and weekend internships for the company the family name was tied to. Amity was involved in all AP classes, piano lessons (what was it with Odalia and Alador sticking their kids in music?) track, and there was something about her having a private tutor as well and that was every day except Wednesdays. 

"What's up, Miss Lilith?" 

"First off, drop the  _ Miss _ , it makes me feel old. I told you, just Lilith is fine," Lilith scoffed while the twins chuckled in amusement and Amity smiled sheepishly. 

"Okay, well then if we're dropping formalities, then you can call me 'Em' as a nickname," Emira shrugged as Edric nodded in agreement and voiced his nickname. 

"Yeah, full names make me feel older," Edric winced. 

"You are old," Amity scoffed and rolled her eyes. 

"Aww, Ed, look, our little Mittens has claws." Lilith couldn't help the laugh that escaped her at the murder in Amity's eyes while the twins messed with her hair. She really needed to introduce them to Eda. 

"Alright, stop before your sister kills you both in your sleep." The twins did give playful huffs after Amity swatted them both and Lilith couldn't help but find the interaction adorable. 

"You said we needed to talk," Amity raised an eyebrow and Lilith nearly forgot that's what she came over to them for.

"Right. So, here's the thing. The three of you have been in school for practically two weeks, and I've noticed something-"

"I promise we're working to keep our grades up-"

"Our teachers are helping us get back on track-"

"It's going to be back to normal by next week and-"

"Okay, stop." It should’ve surprised her how easily the kids went silent, but Lilith was too busy focusing on the way they had gone into a panic over something as simple as grades. "This has nothing to do with your grades."

Uncertain looks flashed onto the trio's faces and once again, the siblings held a conversation in silence. The twins both glanced at Amity who simply raised an eyebrow at them with a shake of her head. 

"Have we done something wrong?" Edric asked and the three broken-hearted expressions that followed the question was enough for Lilith's heart to split in two. 

"No. And before you try guessing, let me speak." There was a sigh, "Is your mental health okay, first off?"

"What?"

"The three of you have very demanding schedules, and the death of your parents is not of any help to that. I need to know how your mental states are," Lilith held her breath as silence settled upon them. 

"I'm exhausted," Emira sighed as she slumped against the couch and ignored the surprised looks her siblings gave her. "Because we go to school, go to practice, go to tutoring, and then repeat, and then on the weekends I follow some stuck up asshole around for like the entire day and then catch up on homework when I come home and I'm sick of it. And I've been so busy that I nearly forgot our parents' funeral." 

"Same." Edric followed his twin's example and closed his eyes before breaking out into a rant, "Half the stuff that I'm doing I didn't even want to do. I don't even like sports. I hate it. I also hate the violin. All this stuff is crap our parents shoved us into and I wouldn't mind dropping it." 

"I wouldn't mind dropping piano," Amity shrugged.

"Then what's stopping you from doing so?" Lilith raised an eyebrow as the kids' eyes widened in realization. 

"Wait...you’re not going to tell us to stay in and see it through? Follow what our parents want?" Amity asked in bewilderment. 

"I care more about your mental states than your parents’ decisions," Lilith shrugged. She knew it was harsh but considering Odalia and Alador never involved her in their lives over the last two decades, she really couldn't care. Plus, she was trusted with the well-being of the kids. What kind of guardian would she be if she continued to let the nestlings dig themselves into an early grave?

"Then that's it, I'm dropping everything except school." Emira cheered, "No more stuck-up assholes for me!"

"Goodbye to shitty practices!" Edric cried out in relief. 

"Wait...that means I can actually pursue things, like clubs I've always wanted to join but never could," Amity blinked in surprise. 

"Yes, however," Lilith ignored the way their faces fell, "if you committed to something, because I know sports aren't so keen on letting members drop-"

"Oh, don't worry about that," Edric smirked, "I'm purposely the worst player on the team."

"The only reason they couldn't boot us was because our mother would throw a hissy fit," Emira chuckled.

"Everything that I do outside of school can easily be canceled," Amity shrugged. 

"And the internship?" Lilith questioned.

"All we have to do is call them and say we quit. It won't mean anything," Edric rolled his eyes. 

"We can take care of all of this tomorrow," Emira smiled and Edric nodded his head in agreement.

"Mittens," Edric ignored the death glare that came his way, "talk to your counselor tomorrow to drop the nerd classes."

"I want to stay in them, it's the activities picked out for me I want to drop," Amity huffed. 

"Is that all you wanted to talk to us about?" Emira asked as Lilith stood up. 

"That, and what you want for dinner," Lilith chuckled lightly. 

"Wait…" Edric blinked, "That's really it?"

"Yes," there was a playful eye roll before Lilith pointed a finger at them, "now dinner."

"Waffles," Edric shrugged. 

"Waffles?" The other three occupants of the room repeated. 

"Why not waffles?" No one could provide an argument and Edric simply smirked. 

"I'll go find the waffle maker," Amity shook her head as she stood up.

"I'll help," Emira offered with a laugh. 

"Would you mind helping me tear the kitchen apart for the waffle batter?" Edric smiled sheepishly and Lilith shook her head.

"We're tearing apart the pantry."

"Oh, that's even better."

* * *

The funeral seemed to go by in a blur of black. All Lilith remembered was the viewing on Friday and then seeing the casket lowered the day after. Perhaps that was due to holding the three teenagers together as it finally sunk in that their parents were gone. 

"Thanks for taking us home," Emira had whispered when Lilith opened the front door of the house and led them in. 

"Of course, Em," Lilith nodded and rested a gentle hand on Emira's shoulder.

"It's so stupid," Edric mumbled as he shrugged off his jacket and flopped onto the couch, "all those people that walked up to us and acting like we weren't kids." He angrily wiped the tear threatening to fall, "Treating us like we were simply just the next generation of assholes." 

"I quit," Emira let out a shaking breath and moved out of Lilith's reach to begin pacing. "I quit. I refuse to follow in their footsteps. I want nothing to do with our parents, our parents’ company, our Godforsaken family name-" 

" _ A Blight does not take this type of bullcrap _ ," Edric mocked as he shared a look with his twin. "Freaking hypocrite." 

"They were so full of it," Emira shook her head as she walked over to her twin and sat down next to him. 

"At least they're gone-"

"Thank God for that," Amity huffed and Lilith swore she muttered similar words at seventeen. 

"Is this how it felt?" Edric asked and it took Lilith a second to realize he was addressing her. 

"Oh?" She scoffed and accidentally let the bitterness bleed out into her voice, "You mean when my sister and I threw our parents' ashes over a cliff?" 

"Yes." He didn't shrink back but did straighten up as if he expected his guardian’s next words to hold some sort of answer. 

"I don't know what the relationship between you and your parents was like," Lilith ran a hand through her hair, "but after we poured the ashes out, I threw the jar against a tree and left it in pieces. I was too busy planning out the next step than mourning people that were practically strangers."

"So is it normal to feel guilty?" Amity asked and Lilith nodded. 

"It probably won't go away for a while." Lilith shrugged, "The fact you feel terrible about your freedom from them but know it's probably the best thing they ever did for you…" she winced at the sound of the twins’ laughter, "that was terrible." 

"But it’s true," Edric cackled and Lilith knew the twins would soon fall into hysterics. 

"Do you know what Eda and I did after?" The twins sobered and stared at her curiously. 

"Burn everything?" Emira guessed.

"We went for frozen yogurt," Lilith smiled at the memory.

"You threw your parents’ ashes over a cliff and went out for frozen yogurt directly after?" Amity asked in bewilderment.

"It was a spur-of-the-moment thing," Lilith waved a dismissive hand, "but who wants frozen yogurt?"

"Drown my sorrows in sprinkles?" Edric beamed, "Oh, hell yes." 

"I'm in."

"Me too." 

And that's how Lilith ended up watching a movie with the kids in the blanket fort (their idea) with frozen yogurt in her hand as she texted Eda. Her sister’s response of  _ carrying on tradition _ brought a smile to her face despite the emotional weight of the day. 

* * *

She knew something was up the second her phone began to ring and Amity's name flashed on the screen. From what she could recall, the youngest of her kids was at a birthday party for a classmate.

"Hey." It was almost immediate when Lilith answered. 

"Am-"

"I need to know if I am allowed to spend the night." Amity's tone was far too forced for calmness and Lilith knew what the girl wanted from her. 

"Sorry, dearest. Not this time," Lilith smirked at the groans of disappointment from the other side. "I'm coming to pick you up. Make sure you're ready in the next ten minutes." 

"Alright." At least Amity had the decency to pretend to be disappointed. 

Lilith didn't say anything when Amity practically bolted to the car and dove into the passenger's seat. 

"Thank you," Amity whispered the second they pulled into the driveway. 

"No need to thank me." Lilith smiled softly, "Just call me if you ever need me to come get you again and I'll be there."

"You mean that?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't." 

"Thanks."

* * *

There was something off about today. The kids swore something was different and it wasn't until they were sitting at the table with Lilith eating breakfast when they figured it out. 

"I got it," Amity blinked in surprise, "your hair is curly."

"That's a surprise why?" Lilith asked as she sipped her tea. 

"Because since day one you've had straight hair," Edric stressed as he shared a surprised look with his sisters. 

"Ever heard of a straightener?" Lilith chuckled as her kids stared at her in confusion. 

"This is weirder than the time we found out you wear glasses." 

"I had to re-dye my hair." Lilith shrugged as she brought her mug to her mouth, "Can't straighten it for at least a week, but I normally go two." 

"That seems like a ton of work." Amity wasn't wrong, but she did have a point. 

"But I look cool so it's worth it." 

"True." 

"If you kids want, I could do your hair," Lilith offered and ignored the collective thuds of objects falling out of hands. 

"Our parents would never let us do that," Amity recovered first and quickly snatched up her toast. 

"They would kill us," Edric nodded and winced at the memory of Odalia's scolding for the spray-on color when he was younger. 

"They're dead," Emira hissed but it wasn't bitter. It was more of a reminder that they could do as they pleased...with Lilith's permission, of course. 

"Probably turning over in their graves right now," Amity rolled her eyes. 

"I say blue," Emira smiled, sharing a look with her twin. 

"What about cyan highlights?" Edric asked in between a mouthful of eggs and Emira glared at him 

"And you, dearest?" Lilith gently poked Amity's shoulder, "Are you thinking of a color change?" 

"Let's go with pink streaks." 

"Sounds wonderful." 

* * *

Lilith didn't know if it was the fact her kids warmed up to Eda so easily or the fact Eda slid into the aunt role almost immediately that surprised her more. But it wasn't unwelcome. She was glad to show her kids a more personal side of her life. 

"So, your nestlings are definitely something," Eda smirked at the look of shock on her older sister’s face. 

"I don't ever recall telling you what I call my kids," Lilith raised an eyebrow. 

"You mention it in our texts." The younger Clawthorne shrugged, "They're good kids."

"They are."

"It's because of you."

"Don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"You make it sound like I raised them."

"You kinda have, Lily."

"What-"

"You told me that they were just shells, flinching back, keeping distance. And here they are today, with dyed hair, bright smiles, and not a care in the world. You did that. Give yourself some credit." 

"Well-"

"Lilith?" Amity's voice broke the conversation between the sisters and the woman in question glanced up to see the trio of siblings standing in the hallway, practically dead on their feet. 

"What's wrong, nestlings?" Eda blinked in surprise. She never knew her sister was capable of such softness. 

Lilith gave a beckoning motion and the siblings practically flopped onto the L-couch to the right of the sisters. 

"Sorry for interrupting, we went looking and couldn't find you." How Edric managed to mumble a sentence was beyond Eda's understanding. However, Lilith hummed in response and nodded her head. 

It was strange and almost amusing how attached the kids were to Lilith. If it wasn't for the painful reminder of the trio's last name, Eda swore they had been Lilith's from the start. Perhaps, maybe in a different world, they were. 

"Lookie that," Eda scoffed fondly after their breaths had evened out, "Lily has her own little flock of ravens." 

"Oh, God, will you quit it with the bird terms?" Lilith softly groaned. 

"Lils, we literally based our entire lives around birds. I'm an owl and you're the raven." There was a pause before Eda shot a hand to her mouth, "The kiddos don't know how big of a dork you are."

"They've seen me with full curls and glasses. I've told them stories. They know I'm a dork."

"Not a super big one."

"Eda-"

"Come on, if you’re going to be the mother hen, they gotta know some stories. What kind of aunt would I be if I didn't?" 

It should’ve fazed her. It didn't. Instead, her heart turned to mush and Lilith wondered if her heart exploded. Eda really saw them as family...just like her.

* * *

Not for the first time, Lilith briefly wondered if she should’ve read a parenting book before taking in three traumatized kids. Because honestly, she wasn't prepared for her nestlings to come home after a night out with friends, practically radiating irritation. 

"Is everything okay?" Lilith asked as she shut and locked the front door. 

"Yes."

"Everything is fine."

"It's nothing." 

The twins had brushed past her without so much as a hello and Amity was in the process of doing the same while answering a text message. Lilith swore someone turned back the clock. The kids hadn't been this guarded since the day they moved in. 

"Well, if you want to talk about it-"

"No," Amity shook her head, "there isn't much to talk about." 

The youngest stormed off to the kitchen and Lilith followed and took notice of the other occupants. The twins sat at the island with Edric holding an ice pack wrapped in a towel against Emira's wrist. Amity had walked over to her older sister and sat on the other side of her. 

"That doesn't look like nothing to me," Lilith forced herself to keep her voice steady. 

"It's fine," Emira hissed. 

"Don't worry." Edric's tone was sharp and held a harshness Lilith didn't know he possessed.

"Do you honestly expect me not to worry?" She couldn’t help the concern that slipped into her tone, "You come home and the three of you are suddenly secretive for some reason and none of you will-"

"Why are you even worrying?" Amity shouted and the words fell out of her mouth before she could stop them, "You're not our mother!" 

Amity immediately paled at the same time the twins stiffened, but Lilith paid their reactions no mind. 

_ You're not our mother.  _

That was it. That was the problem. She was overstepping. She was suffocating them. Lilith forced herself to ignore the sting of hurt that clawed at her heart because what Amity said was the truth. She wasn't their mother. 

"Lilith, I didn't mean-"

"No, it's alright. I shouldn't have pushed" The words stung of betrayal. She glanced at the twins, "If it starts swelling or hurts within the hour, make sure you tell me." 

The kids were still frozen in place and Lilith took that as her cue to leave. She wasn't going to let them see her cry. Not over something as stupid as getting her feelings hurt. 

Her feet had led her to the front yard, telling her to get away before they hurt her again. But her heart is what made her sit down at the curb, desperately reminding her of the desire to protect and nurture. 

Yet, she couldn't stop the tears from falling and was grateful that she had already taken her makeup off so she could cry freely. She knew why it hurt. Letting people in only for them to stab you in the heart. But she wasn't their mother. Crying over the moments that strengthened her bond with them, the same moments that led her closer to calling them hers, wouldn't do anything. It was her fault for not setting up the boundaries. It was her fault for getting attached. 

She wasn't sure how long she was out on the curb trying to pull herself together, but the sound of her name being shrieked like bloody murder from inside the house was enough to snap her into alert mode. She shot to her feet and began crossing the yard with billions of thoughts swarming her mind. 

She got halfway across the yard before the front door flew open and Amity came rushing out more distraught than Lilith had ever seen her. Lilith was certain that if she didn't see Amity charging at her, she would’ve got tackled to the ground.

"Amity, what's wrong?" The only response given was the girl in question gripping the sleeves of Lilith's shirt as if it was a lifeline. 

Muffled wails of agony ripped their way out of Amity's throat as she dug her face into Lilith’s shoulder. 

"Amity." Lilith slowly brought her arms around the girl, in hopes that the youngest of the kids would speak to her. 

"I'm not a mind reader. If something is wrong I can't help you." 

Amity practically jolted back as if she had been stabbed and Lilith felt her heart break once again. Right. She wasn't their mother. 

"I'm sorry," Amity whispered before shaking hands released their grip ran through her hair. Her glossy eyes found Lilith and for a moment, horror flashed across her face before her breath hitched, "I-I didn't mean it. I swear. Lilith, I'm so-"

"Amity." There was no time to have this conversation like the present. "You were right. You don't need to apologize. I am not-"

"But I want you to be!" Amity sobbed as she furiously shook her head and tears fell at an alarming rate. "I shouldn't have...shouldn't have said it but... I did a-and now I hurt you and-"

"Dearest, breathe." 

"I'm sorry." 

“It’s fin-”

“It’s not.” 

“Lilith!” Two heads turned to the twins in the doorway, who had sighed together in utter relief before sprinting across the yard. Amity had moved to the side and Lilith had one second to react before the twins attacked her from both sides with a hug. 

“Don’t listen to Mittens,” Emira muttered after another sigh.

“She’s an idiot,” Edric chuckled lightly but did hide his face in her shoulder. 

“Is everything okay?” She would’ve jokingly scolded him but the fact all the three teens came rushing out of the house was enough to push down that idea. No one had told her why she heard her name being wailed from inside.

“We thought you were gone. No one could find you anywhere and Em and I had just gotten done screaming at Mittens and we realized you weren’t in the house-”

“I’m right here.” She chuckled as he let out a soft sigh, “I can’t believe the three of you just assumed I would leave just like that.”

“In our defense, we’re a mess,” Amity huffed lightly before sheepishly rubbing her arm. 

“Yes, you’re a mess but you’re my mess,” Lilith gave a fond smile and led the twins over to their sister so she could wrap all three of her kids in a hug.

It was definitely heartwarming and a little concerning to understand how much she meant to them. Especially when she realized that they cried more over the idea of her leaving them than their parents' death. 

“And we'll stay your mess, right?" Emira asked and Lilith felt the uncertainty in her voice. 

"I rather not have messes for nestlings." Lilith shrugged as they all stiffened, "I don't think messes can eat frozen yogurt."

"Lilith, it's past midnight. Who would be serving frozen yogurt at one in the morning?" Edric chuckled. 

"Alright, new plan then." Lilith broke the hug and ran inside the house to grab her keys. She locked the front door behind her and ushered the teens to the car. 

"Where are we going?" Amity asked as she slid into the passenger's seat. 

"If we can't do frozen yogurt then we'll do slushies at one in the morning," Lilith smiled as laughter filled the car. 

"Hell yeah!" Emira cheered. 

"Oh, and Em, before I forget," Lilith paused to back out of the driveway, "how's your wrist?"

"My wrist is fine." Emira smirked as Edric slapped a hand over his mouth and Amity paled, "You should've seen the other chick."

"Oh? What did you do?"

"Someone made an insulting comment about you, and I reacted accordingly," Emira shrugged with no shame in her actions. Lilith knew she was supposed to discourage such an action, but she could let it slide considering how the kids reacted. 

"On that note, we definitely need better impulse control," Amity giggled. 

"Dearest, do keep in mind I'm driving the four of us to get slushies in the middle of the night," Lilith smiled as Amity shrugged in agreement. 

"What we need is better friends," Edric scoffed and hums of agreement followed.

"Hey, if punching our parents' picks in the face gets me a slushie at one in the morning, then I will gladly punch the rest."

"Em." Lilith raised an eyebrow as she glanced up at the teen and Emira offered a sheepish smile. 

"Maybe not."

* * *

"Lilith, I need your help!" Edric shouted and Lilith glanced up as she heard the footsteps speeding down the stairs. 

"Is anything broken, are you hurt-"

"I was asked out!" It came out in between heavy breaths but the fear in his face was clear. 

"Over...text?"

"Yes!"

"So-"

"And this is extremely bad because everyone around here is super prissy and like if I go out on this date like everyone will know and I can't do that to him but luckily I don't like him like that but still, it sucks, and I want this school year to be over." 

"So just tell him no. You don't like him like that and would rather stay friends," Lilith shrugged and Edric paled as he glanced up at her.

"It doesn't bother you I'm into guys?" He blinked in surprise.

"Why would it?"

"You're not going to tell me I'm going to hell or that it's just a phase?"

"Ed, look at me. I look like I crawled out of hell. If I told you off I would sound like my mother and I refuse to be a hypocrite."

"Really?"

"Yes." 

"Are you…"

"Also yes."

"Badass." 

* * *

Lilith wasn't aware of how much time had flown past until the twins' birthday came charging at her. It was odd watching them turn sixteen. They weren't any different, of course, but it did remind her how far they've come since she first met them. 

Thankfully and also sadly, the twins wanted something small considering all of their birthday parties were for their parents to show off. Plus, the guest list only consisted of Amity, Lilith, and of course, Eda. That was due to the fact Edric and Emira were adamant about having a closed-off celebration, meaning no one from school was allowed to come due to the fact the two practically hated their community. 

Unfortunately, decorating the house took a bit longer than expected and Lilith was running a bit behind schedule. (She would be damned if she let her kids go without party decorations and homemade cupcakes.) 

"Okay," Lilith strolled into the living room with her keys in hand as she addressed her nestlings lounging on the couch, "Eda plans to be here by seven, Amity, please take the sodas out of the fridge, I have to pick up the pizza, and don't burn the house down while I'm gone." 

"Yes, Mom," all three sarcastically said in unison before simultaneously stiffening. Lilith, however, didn't process the slip-up and had made it outside and to the car before her eyes widened in realization. 

"Oh. My. God." 

_ Congratulations, Lily, you're a mother.  _


End file.
